Alec Benjamin

Alec Shane Benjamin (born May 28, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, his 2018 breakthrough single "Let Me Down Slowly" reached the top 40 in over 25 countries and has amassed over 1.7 billion streams on Spotify as of December 2023.

Life and career
Alec Shane Benjamin was born on May 28, 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona, where he and his sister were raised. As a child, he spent summers at a Jewish sleepaway camp which introduced him to campfire songs. He started writing songs at 13 and learning guitar in high school, and released his first extended play (EP) America in 2013.

Benjamin signed with Columbia Records and enrolled at the University of Southern California. However, Columbia Records ended their partnership weeks after he submitted his album. After termination of his partnership with Columbia Records, he went on a self-funded tour in Europe, opening for Marina Kaye in France and Lea in Germany. He promoted his music by performing in parking lots outside concert venues and handing out business cards to passersby.

Benjamin's mixtape Narrated for You was released on November 16, 2018. It features the songs "If We Have Each Other," "Devil Doesn't Bargain", "Water Fountain," "Annabelle's Homework," and "Let Me Down Slowly". "Let Me Down Slowly" was later re-released as a single with Alessia Cara. While promoting the mixtape, he started creating the "Can I Sing for You?" videos on YouTube, in which he performs acoustic versions of his songs for people in public.

Benjamin's debut studio album These Two Windows was released on May 29, 2020. It peaked at number 8 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart. His second album, (Un)Commentary, followed on April 15, 2022.

In 2023, he opened for John Mayer for a portion of Mayer's North American tour. He also performed at the annual Minecraft Live, singing a parody of his song "Let Me Down Slowly" using words from the Minecraft game universe. Additionally, he began releasing tracks from his upcoming album. Currently released tracks include “Different Kind of Beautiful”, “I Sent My Therapist to Therapy”, and "Pick Me".

On May 10, 2024, he released a new album: 12 Notes with new songs such as "Sacrifice Tomorrow", "In a Little" or "By now" among others.

He occasionally records Mandarin versions of his songs, having been inspired by his dad who’s incorporated Chinese culture into his work as a medical doctor through acupuncture and eastern medicine. He collaborated with popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi on a Mandarin version of "Water Fountain".

Influences
Benjamin has cited influences such as Eminem, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Paul Simon, Joe Avneri and Chris Martin of Coldplay. He has also expressed admiration for Kendrick Lamar and classic singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Carole King, and Jackson Browne.